Miscellaneous Works

You have selected this document because your project involves one or more activities classified as Miscellaneous Works in or about a stream. Miscellaneous Works include:

flow or water level measuring device construction, maintenance or removal;

fish fence, screen or fish/game guard construction or removal;

fence installation repair or maintenance near a watercourse; and/or,

temporary ford construction or removal.

When planning your project develop designs and select locations to minimize potential impacts to fish and fish habitat. If your works are outside the scope of this Guidebook then a MOE Approval application must be completed and DFO contacted to determine if a review and/or Authorization under the Fisheries Act is appropriate.

How to proceed with your Miscellaneous Works Project

The following steps will help guide you through the provincial and federal Notification, Approval and/or Authorization process for Miscellaneous Works:

Does your project involve Water Measuring Devices, Fish Screens, Fish Fences, Fish/Game Guards or Fences in or about a stream?

Best Management Practices

The following Best Management Practices (BMPs) are methods, that if followed, will help ensure your project minimizes potential impacts to fish and fish habitat and will provide a standard level of protection to the aquatic and terrestrial environment potentially affected by your project.

It is the responsibility of the proponent/developer to ensure that they are in compliance with all applicable
legislation.
There are three (3) types of BMPs you should consider:

General Project BMPs and Standard Project Considerations

Miscellaneous Works Specific BMPs

To achieve the required Standards and objectives that your activity must meet, apply the following BMPs as applicable to your works.
To reduce impacts on fish and wildlife habitats and populations, your Miscellaneous Works activities must consider:

A. Flow or Water Measuring Device Construction, Maintenance or Removal

Operational

operate machinery, if required, outside of the stream channel to avoid disturbance to the banks of the watercourse;

MSC07

use inert or untreated materials (e.g. fir, cedar, hemlock) as supports for structures that are to be submerged in water. Treated lumber must not be used as it may contain compounds that are deleterious to the aquatic environment;

MSC08

install fish screens, if required, to ensure fish to not become entrained through intake pipes (see the Fish Screen section in this document for further information);

avoid building on fish spawning habitat or riffle areas where watercourse processes may result in erosion of the substrates or banks;

Operational

MSC19

retain existing instream and riparian vegetation and other features, including trees, bushes, shrubs, weeds or tall grasses along any stream bank, mats of floating vegetation, overhanging vegetation, natural large woody debris and large boulders;

design screens to avoid accumulation of debris or to be self cleaning;

MSC30

design screening systems to prevent impingement of small fish against the screen;

MSC31

select screen materials that are free on protrusions, non-corrosive and UV light resistant;

MSC32

use inert or untreated materials (e.g. fir, cedar, hemlock) as supports for structures that are to be submerged in water. Treated lumber must not be used as it may contain compounds that are deleterious and can be released into the water and become toxic to the aquatic environment;

MSC33

locate screens in areas and depths of water with low concentrations of fish throughout the year, no natural or man-made structures that may attract fish that are migrating, spawning or in rearing habitat and at least 30 cm above the bottom of the watercourse to prevent entrainment of sediment and aquatic organisms;

Operational

MSC34

operate machinery on land in a manner that minimizes disturbance to the banks or watercourse bottom;

MSC35

install trash racks upstream of the point of withdrawal to prevent damage from large debris;

MSC36

reduce the incidence of impingement and migration delays of fish by constructing a bypass channel to provide a passage route around the fish screen and back to the main water channel;

MSC37

avoid impingement through the screen by ensuring water velocity do not exceed 0.03 m/s through fixed screens and 0.12 m/s through moving screens;

MSC38

orient screen faces in the same direction as the flow;

MSC39

provide structural support to the screen panels to prevent sagging and collapse of screens;

MSC40

install a manifold on large cylindrical and box screens to ensure even water velocity distribution across the screen surface;

MSC41

cut, seal and stain (non-toxic) all materials outside the riparian area and ensure it is completely dry before used near water;

MSC42

remove fish screen structures by hand, where feasible;

MSC43

remove any old structures to a suitable upland disposal site to avoid waste material from re-entering the watercourse;

MSC44

remove existing structures in a manner that prevents foreshore disturbance and/or sediment generation to the watercourse;

use inert or untreated materials (e.g. fir, cedar, hemlock) as supports for structures that are to be submerged in water. Treated lumber must not be used as it may contain compounds that are deleterious and can be released into the water and become toxic to the aquatic environment;

MSC52

design water access, if required, on a straight wide section of the watercourse where banks are stable and have gentle slopes;

Operational

MSC53

operate machinery on land in a manner that minimizes disturbance to the banks or watercourse bottom;

MSC54

construct fence structures that are parallel to the watercourse back from the stream bank to allow free growth of riparian vegetation;

MSC55

construct sections of fence that cross the stream to ensure the lowest fence wire will be above the high water mark (HWM);

MSC56

install an adjustable swinging gate if the fence crosses a watercourse with large water level fluctuations;

MSC57

install and remove fence structures by hand, where possible;

MSC58

remove any old structures to a suitable upland disposal site to avoid waste material from re-entering the watercourse;

MSC59

remove existing structures in a manner that prevents foreshore disturbance and/or sediment generation to the watercourse;

use inert or untreated materials (e.g. fir, cedar, hemlock) as supports for structures that are to be submerged in water. Treated lumber must not be used as it may contain compounds that are deleterious and can be released into the water and become toxic to the aquatic environment;

MSC66

design fences with adequate strands based on anticipated pressures applied on the fence;

Operational

MSC67

operate machinery on land in a manner that minimizes disturbance to the banks or watercourse bottom;

MSC68

construct fence structures that are parallel to the watercourse back from the stream bank to allow free growth of riparian vegetation;

MSC69

install and remove fence structures by hand, where possible;

MSC70

remove any old structures to a suitable upland disposal site to avoid waste material from re-entering the watercourse;

MSC71

remove existing structures in a manner that prevents foreshore disturbance and/or sediment generation to the watercourse;

Supportive Information

The following sources provide you with additional planning, design, implementation and review advice for a variety of project-specific activities. Please follow the appropriate links to obtain further information on your project specific activity.